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Noah Hanifin is a left-shooting defenseman who is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his nine-year NHL career. After spending his first three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, he's been skating on the blueline for the Calgary Flames since 2018-19.
At the start of the season, Hanifin and Flames management had an agreement for a contract extension, but the defender reportedly broke off the talks, waiting to see how good the club would be before committing long-term. Shortly after, the team reportedly rescinded their offer, and both sides haven't discussed a new deal since.
Now, as the NHL trade deadline approaches and the Flames are on the outside of the playoff picture, already dealing away Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm, it may be time for the team to find Hanifin a new home before he potentially walks away as a free agent.
So, if Hanifin is on the move, where would he fit in? Let's take a look.
Noah Hanifin landing spots: Five teams that could look to trade for Flames defenceman
#1. Tampa Bay Lighting
On Wednesday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning lost defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for the remainder of the season with a leg injury that required surgery. Besides Victor Hedman, the team's leading scorer among defensemen, who is also a leader in ice time, Sergachev was a close second in each category.
Unfortunately, Tampa Bay will now be without a guy who plays over 22 minutes a night, making Hanifin almost the perfect replacement since he's averaging 22:38 a night.
Moreover, Sergachev was tied with Darren Raddysh with 19 points apiece, a distance away from Hedman's 51, which means if Hanifin joined the ranks, his 28 points would be a significant upgrade on the back end.
#2. New York Islanders
The New York Islanders fired their head coach and brought in Hall of Famer and former Jack Adams Award winner Patrick Roy on Jan. 20 to get the team back to the Eastern Conference Final, a place they lost in 2020 and 2021.
Their best defensemen are Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock, with Dobson having a career year with 53 points, while Pulock is 16th in team scoring with seven points. Together, the pair average over 22 minutes a night, with Dobson skating over 25 minutes.
Besides Dobson's plus-22 rating, alongside partner Alexander Romanov (plus-15), no one else is even close to catching these guys. The Islanders have a team goal-differential of minus-18.
Now, Hanifin wouldn't solve all their problems but instead would be a positive reinforcement that could help the team on both sides of the ice, scoring goals and keeping them out. Who knows, under Roy's guidance, he could reach 50 points.
#3. Toronto Maple Leafs
Brad Treliving is the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and is familiar with the the operations of the Flames, since he was their boss from 2014 to 2023. He was the man who brought Hanifin to Alberta in 2018, and he could be the man who brings him to Ontario in 2024.
On paper, Toronto has one of the most stacked offensive lineups in the NHL with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. However, their biggest star on the backend is All-Star Morgan Reilly. He's got 42 points and averages 24 minutes of ice time a night.
But, after Reilly, the production drops off significantly, with Jake McCabe ranking second for defenseman with just 17 points. Moreover, not a single defender on the Maple Leafs is double digits in plus/minus, giving Hanifin a chance to slot in on either the top pair or second unit, instantly improving the team.
#4. St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are only five seasons removed from winning the Stanley Cup, and their fall from the top hasn't been for the faint of heart. After trading away the core that helped win the championship, the pieces that have come to town have underperformed, including Torey Krug, who is minus-16 this season.
Moreover, he's the leading scorer amongst defenders with just 20 points. Meanwhile, the Blues are holding down the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, but there's seven teams within five points of each other in the log jam.
St. Louis has a goal differential of minus-12, the worse numbers of any team currently in a playoff position. Even if Hanifin went to the Blues for the remainder of the season, he would be a significant upgrade on the back end, and could be an impact player who gets them over the hump.
#5. New Jersey Devils
In the end, Hanifin may exercise his modify trade clause, vetoing a trade to a rebuilding team like the San Jose Sharks or Anaheim Ducks. However, the New Jersey Devils were going to be Stanley Cup contenders before injuries to Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton derailed their season.
Realistically, the Devils are going to go hard for an upgrade in net, spending most of their available resources on finding a true number starter. But, New Jersey has dressed 10 different defenders this season, with Luke Hughes the only rearguard with more than 20 points.
Moreover, only three defensemen with over 20 games have a positive plus/minus rating which factors into the team'ss goal differential of minus-7.
Last summer, the Flames and Devils made a deal, Yegor Sharangovich for Tyler Toffoli, and could engage in another swap, which could help the New Jersey close the five point gap in the wildcard race and clinch a playoff spot, especially with Hamilton slated to come back soon.
